Unlike Peter's younger brother , Ivan Alekseevich Romanov lived a short and, in general, unremarkable life. Information about him in the documents of that time was preserved a little. And all that can be gleaned from them convinces researchers that Ivan V was the least interested in the affairs of management.
Tsarevich John
Alexei Mikhailovich, nicknamed the Quietest, was the second king of the Romanov dynasty, who came to power in 1613. From his first marriage with Maria Miloslavskaya he had thirteen children, the last of which was Tsarevich Ivan.
Like his older brothers, he was not in good health. Scurvy, epilepsy attacks, speech impairment, poor eyesight - these ailments accompanied Ivan Alekseevich all his life.
There is practically no information about his education, but not all contemporaries considered him weak-witted. And Peter I himself in letters addressed his elder brother as a perfectly rational person. The steward Pyotr Prozorovsky was appointed teacher of the prince, whose advice Ivan Alekseevich Romanov carefully listened to until the end of his life.
When he was only three years old, Maria Miloslavskaya died. Soon Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich married a second time to the young Natalya Naryshkina. Left without a mother, Ivan became attached to his younger brother Peter, and this brotherly affection remained with him forever.
Who should be on the throne?
The death of Tsar Fedor in the spring of 1682 raised the question of succession to the throne. According to tradition, the sixteen-year-old Ivan Alekseevich Romanov was to become the next autocrat. Nevertheless, the Naryshkins did not intend to share power with the Miloslavskys.
Dementia of Ivan - this is the argument that they used to proclaim Tsar Peter. Since the legitimate applicant did not show any desire to take the throne, his older sister Sophia and the entire Miloslavsky family defended his interests.
Thanks to the rumor spread by them about the violent death of Ivan in May of the same year, the archers rebelled. Tsarina Natalya Kirillovna came to them, together with both princes, accompanied by the boyars. However, the sight of living Ivan did not reassure the rebellious archers. The murders of the Naryshkin supporters continued for several days in Moscow.
In the end, the rebellion was able to repay, notifying the archers about the compromise solution of the boyars and the patriarch. In June 1682, in the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin, two autocrats were married at once to the kingdom: Ivan V and Peter I. The ambitious Sophia was proclaimed regent with them.
Especially for the coronation ceremony, a double throne was made and a copy of the cap of Vladimir Monomakh for Peter. Ivan, however, as the “elder” king, was entrusted with a genuine relic. He turned out to be the last Russian tsar who was crowned with a Monomakh hat.
Co-rulers
The next seven years, Sophia actually reigned, although both brothers attended audiences for foreign ambassadors, a dispute between the schismatics and the Orthodox hierarchy, and other official events where the participation of the tsar was required.
And if the affairs of governing the country of Peter were not only interested for the time being, then Ivan Alekseevich Romanov, by the nature of his character and because of many diseases, was absolutely indifferent to them. Perhaps that is why he always maintained peaceful relations with his brother and sister.
When Sophia was intriguing, trying to remove Peter from power, Ivan, under the influence of his teacher Prince Prozorovsky, took the side of his younger brother. However, it cannot be said that the “senior” tsar was not interested in anything at all.
All contemporaries noted his great piety. Despite bodily infirmities, he did not miss church services, often went on a pilgrimage, especially to the Novodevichy Convent. Such was Tsar Ivan Alekseevich Romanov. Domestic and foreign policy of Russia was completely given to them in the hands of brother Peter.
The family of the "senior" king
As early as 1684, Ivan was married to Praskovya Saltykova, who was considered one of the first beauties. Contrary to the expectations of Sophia, the couple had five daughters and not a single son, under whose cover she counted on a long regency.
According to foreign diplomats who lived in Moscow at the end of the 17th century, by the age of 27, Ivan Alekseevich looked like an old man. At official receptions, when he got up, he was supported by the arms, and the king's voice sounded weak and slurred.
In January 1696, Moscow learned that Ivan Alekseevich Romanov died in his thirtieth year of life. His brief biography was never of great interest to historians, in contrast to the active figure of Peter I. The latter, having begun to reign alone, did not forget the family of his older brother and always cared for the widow and nieces.
Two daughters of Ivan V died in early childhood. Of the survivors, one, Anna Ioannovna, subsequently became empress of Russia. The grandson of another daughter, Catherine, inherited the throne under the name of Ivan VI, however, he was soon overthrown as a result of a palace coup.